The purpose of the project is to study the chemical and physical properties and biosynthesis of proteoglycans in a number of tissue and cell systems. Topics of present interest include: 1) Protein chemistry and immunology of the hyaluronic acid-binding region of proteoglycans from the Swarm rat chondrosarcoma; 2) Biosynthesis of the core protein precursor, and the completed proteoglycan with its associated oligosaccharides and of the link protein by chondrocytes; 3) Metabolism of proteoglycans by rat ovarian granulosa cells; 4) Effects of bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) and vitamin A on the regulation of proteoglycan metabolism in organ cultures of bovine articular cartilage; 5) Characterization of the abnormal keratan sulfate-proteoglycan in corneal macular dystrophy; 6) Chemistry of trifluoroacetolysis of hyaluronic acid; 7) Proteoglycan synthesis of skin epithelial cells.